Jinous Sobhani

UPDATE: (16 March 2009) Jinous Sobhani was released on 11 March 2009 on bail of approximately $73,000 (700,000,000 Rial).

(5 February 2009) Jinous Sobhani, former secretary at the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC) and the Organization for the Defense of Mine Victims, was arrested by security agents on 14 January 2009. Authorities confiscated her address book, telephone and other work materials and took her to Evin Prison.

Both the DHRC and ODMV were established by Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi and Sobhani was an employee there until authorities shut down the DHRC claiming it is an illegal organization. The DHRC was one of the leading human rights organizations in Iran.

Sobhani is also a member of the Baha’i Faith, the largest religious minority group in Iran. She is being held incommunicado along with the other Baha’is arrested on 14 January. She has not been allowed to visit with a lawyer and there are fears she and her fellow prisoners are being tortured.